Who initiated and implemented the project? Who runs the project on a long-term and sustainable Basis?

The Welcome App Germany was launched as an honorary work project in order to support migrants of all kinds as well as a sign of cosmopolitanism. The Dresden based IT company Heinrich & Reuter Solutions GmbH (HeiReS®) - supported by Saxonia Systems AG –has been working on this project since spring 2015. The Welcome App was officially introduced on October 3, 2015 - the day of German Unity. Both companies had already set up the Welcome App Dresden in summer 2015 to provide asylum seekers and refugees in Germany -and especially in Dresden - with a compact and really helpful tool for orientation and integration via smartphone.

The need for such a solution was recognized by the entrepreneur Viola Klein when Saxonia Systems run German courses for refugees. First requirements for a smartphone solution were identified by asylum seekers within the language classes. In order to implement the idea, Saxonia was looking for a partner with a specialization in design and app development and found HeiReS®, with special support from entrepreneur Peggy Reuter-Heinrich. The first version of the Welcome App Dresden for Windows phone was designed and developed by HeiReS®. In spring 2015, the first version of the app for asylum seekers was launched – this was a way sending greetings from Dresden to the world and also showing cosmopolitanism. A Saxonia employee then developed the app for both major platforms Android and iOS, which are particularly common within the user groups. Both were initially focused on Dresden so that in August 2015 the Welcome App Dresden as a pioneer was introduced to the general public.

A solution that worked similarly for Germany was the logical consequence and arose from many requests of other cities and municipalities. Just in time for the Day of German Unity on October 3, 2015, the Welcome App Germany was launched for all three relevant platforms: Windows, iOS and Android. Thus another beautiful message could be sent from Dresden. Now the Welcome App Germany was ready to continuously integrate additional cities and counties as extra areas with local addresses and contact. To meet the technological and administrative challenge, HeiReS® has developed its own content distribution system to manage data and the publication of updates by local authorities. Since the beginning of 2016, HeiReS® has been working on the project alone, as Saxonia Systems needed to withdraw from the project for strategic reasons. Therefore, HeiReS® is now the sole contact person and responsible for all matters regarding the Welcome App Germany.

It is a matter of heart not only to be helpful with IT solutions, but also to support other projects. Therefore, in 2015 and 2016, HeiReS donated almost € 10,000 to various relief projects for refugees. HeiReS has placed a focus on projects on the Greek islands, which are in urgent need of help and are personally important to the HeiReS® founders Peggy Reuter-Heinrich and Lars Heinrich.